Improvement in railway switches



F. P. HANCHETT.

Railway Switches.

Patented .luly15, 1873.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FRED. P. HANOHETT, OF NEPEUSKUN, WISCONSIN.

IMPROVEMENT IN RAILWAY SWITCHES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 140,917, dated July 15, 1873 application filed May 3, 1873.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, F. P. HANOHETT, of Nepeuskun, in the county of Winnebago and State of Wisconsin, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Railroad Switches; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it pertains to make and use it, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which form part of this specification.

The drawing is a perspective view, showing my improvement applied to a railway switch.

Thefrequent accidents which are of almost daily occurrence, by reason of careless and neglectful switchmen, has led me to this inven tion; which consists in arranging a movable rail for switches by means of a blind head and lips, as hereinafter described.

A A in the drawing represent the main track, and B B the side track, between which and the main track connection is had, when so desired, by switch-rail D. Switch-rail D is pointed at the end which comes in contact with the rail where the connection is made, and may be of any desired length. It is neither bolted nor spiked, but turns on a blind head, W, which, being covered, prevents grit from getting in and wearing the parts, and it is held in place by blind head W and lips K and O, which are of the same pieces as chairs F and P. E E, as shown in the drawing, is a chair with pointed rail H bolted to .it. C is a short guard-rail. The

switch is made self-actin g by means of spring b, secured at a a, and connected with switchrail D by bar 0.

The device used by me to set the switch, when desired, but which I do not claim as a novelty, is constructed with rod (1, which connects with spring 01 at o, lever s, catch 0, and operated by spring f, all attached to switchstand G, targctmrod J, target h, attached at the top with an open space to allow a light, when fastened to target-rod J at g, to shine through.

It will be seen, by reference to the drawing, that the switch-rail D is secured to the crossties by means of the blind-head Wand lips K and O, and therefore is not liable to become misplaced by passing trains, or easily removed by a designing person or persons, except by removing chairs F and P and the portion of the track attached thereto. My switch is thus rendered safer than any other now in use that is known to me.

Having thus described my invention,I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- The switch-rail D, formed with blind-head W, in combination with lips K and 0, when constructed and arranged substantially as described, and for the purpose specified.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing l have hereunto set my handthis 4th day of April, 1873.

FRED. PARDEE HANOHETT. Witnesses:

FRANKLIN HOWARD, H. S. ATKINS. 

